Yukishiro Enishi

Lore & Background

Enishi's origins are rooted in tragedy. Raised by his older sister, Tomoe, due to their mother dying, his life shattered when Tomoe became engaged to Kiyosato Akira, who was killed by Hitokiri Battōsai (Himura Kenshin). Tomoe left her brother behind to seek revenge, working with the Yaminobu. When Enishi was about ten, he discovered Tomoe's location through the Yaminobu and appeared before her, revealing that he was the contact sent to her. Enishi gained a deep hatred for Kenshin and swore vengeance for mistakenly killing his sister. He disappeared to China, where he was taken in by a kind and wealthy family after suffering months of hardship in the wilderness. Enishi's hair was originally black but after witnessing Kenshin's accidental killing of Tomoe, his hair turned snow white from the stress and grief. To reach his goal, Enishi learned the Watōjutsu, a sword style he taught himself, composed of the speed and slashing style of kenjutsu and the strength and flexibility of typical Chinese sword art used with the Watō, a Chinese-made Japanese tachi. Enishi believes Tomoe wants revenge as well and constantly sees the image of his sister smiling on him. The purpose of his Jinchū is not to kill Kenshin, but to plunge him into a living hell by taking away the person he cares for most, just as Kenshin did to him. In the attack on Kamiya Dojo, Enishi fights and defeats Kenshin shortly before delivering Jinchu. He accomplishes this by leaving a life-size doll of Kamiya Kaoru, made by corpse-artist Gein, to appear as though he drove his sword through her heart, driving Kenshin into despair. Enishi takes Kaoru back to an isolated island until Kenshin dies from his state of "living hell". He leaves his organization in the hands of his subordinate, Woo Heishin. Enishi sees Tomoe again but is shocked to discover his sister is no longer smiling at him. In a moment of madness, he attempts to strangle Kaoru, only to experience severe convulsions, causing him to fall to the floor vomiting. After Kenshin recovers and arrives at Enishi's island hideout, they fight a final duel. Enishi's rage awakens his "Frenzied Nerves" (狂経脈, Kyōkeimyaku; "Nerves of Insanity"), causing his nerves throughout to bulge, imbuing him with greatly enhanced strength and speed while also causing super sensitivity. Kenshin defeats Enishi by taking advantage of the Frenzied Nerves's weak point and using his new will to fight, which paralyzes Enishi. Shortly after, he and Kaoru are attacked by Heishin. Enishi protects her by punching Heishin, badly injuring him, but Kenshin stops Enishi, reasoning that he does not want anymore death and that Enishi would 'lose Tomoe's smile forever'. Kenshin thanks Enishi for saving Kaoru, causing Enishi to grieve Tomoe's death again. Upon Enishi's arrest, Kaoru hands him Tomoe's diary. He manages to escape along the way and ends up in the fallen village that Kenshin had been in during his depression, where he sees his father, who tells Enishi that for the time being, he should simply rest. Enishi also appears in the OVAs: Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal as a child and Rurouni Kenshin: Reflection as an adult. In the latter, Kenshin offers his life to Enishi when defeating him but stops when Kaoru reminds him of his sister. Enishi's role is re-explored in the live-action film Rurouni Kenshin: The Final albeit with different actions and he ending in jail while reading Tomoe's diary.

In Their Own Story

The snow in Hokkaido fell silently, burying the footprints of those who came before. Enishi stood atop the ridge, his long white hair whipping against the wind like a banner of mourning. In his hand, he held a single red flower, preserved against the cold. He looked toward the distant horizon where the wanderer would arrive. There was no joy in his heart, only a hollow ache that had festered for years. Tonight, the past and present would collide. The steel at his hip hummed with anticipation, ready to carve out the final piece of justice he demanded from a world that had taken everything.

Reader's Guide

Real Name: Yukishiro Enishi Alias: None notable, often referred to as Tomoe's brother. Era of Activity: Meiji Period (Late). Fighting Style: Watōjutsu, a self-taught style combining kenjutsu speed and slashing with Chinese sword art strength and flexibility, using a Watō (Chinese-made Japanese tachi). Key Weapons: A shirasaya nihontō (a katana with a wooden sheath and hilt), carried by placing it next to his left hip. Enishi's journey is defined by his relentless quest for jinchū against Himura Kenshin for the accidental killing of his older sister, Tomoe. After witnessing her death, his hair turned white from stress and grief. He disappeared to China, learned Watōjutsu, and formed "The Six Comrades" to assist his revenge. His purpose was not to kill Kenshin but to plunge him into a living hell by taking away the person he cared for most. He defeated Kenshin at Kamiya Dojo and left a life-size doll of Kaoru to appear dead, then took Kaoru to an isolated island. In the final duel, his rage awakened "Frenzied Nerves" (Kyōkeimyaku), but Kenshin defeated him by exploiting its weak point. After protecting Kaoru from Heishin, Enishi was arrested but escaped, ending up in a fallen village where his father told him to rest.

Did You Know?

• Enishi's hair turned from black to snow white from the stress and grief of witnessing Kenshin accidentally kill his sister Tomoe.
• Watsuki created Enishi as a 'depressive type' falling 'deeper and deeper and deeper,' contrasting Shishio Makoto's 'manic-type'.
• Enishi's design was partly based on Gambit from X-Men Age of Apocalypse, specifically his half-cape.
• In the live-action film Rurouni Kenshin: The Final, the battle between Kenshin and Enishi had to be remade several times because actor Takeru Satoh got exhausted from moving four times in total.
• Enishi's weapon of choice is a shirasaya nihontō (a katana with a wooden sheath and hilt), which he carries by placing it next to his left hip.